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We are just about to move from our old shop ie my home. Into our new shop which has a great retail street frontage. This got me wondering, what has worked best for those of you with a retail shop front? Do you have a reception desk and samples or nothing. Should you just keep it plain do you make it part of the workshop or murals? All these ideas running through my head? What works best for you?? Post some pictures & show off your office!
-------------------- Clinton Cooper General Manager ASGI Posts: 43 | From: St Marys NSW Australia | Registered: Sep 2006
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Do make a reception area with sample signs and pictures of your work. You might even have a few magazines or coloring books and crayons for bored kids. Do not have a computer where people can see it. I used to have that, and it made people think I could just pop out any kind of sign they wanted instantaneously. Keep a bit of mystery about your craft. love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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...jill is right. Having a cool receprion area with the "right" samples on the walls will seriously help you sell anything you want to make. Especially the "high end" stuff...
That's some great advice for several reasons! Back when I worked for a shop in New Jersey, our showroom wasn't much to speak of. It was mostly pictures on the walls and some small samples of the work we produced. When we had signs (waiting to be picked up or installed, in the showroom) we sold a lot more of that type of sign. So, if we were working on sandblasted "welcome to our town" signs, we would sell a lot more sandblasted signs. The same applied to digital printing and carved signs too. The other thing we noticed was the price (and profit) for "run of the mill" signs was higher too. When you quote a carved or sandblasted sign for $100+ a square foot, a MDO sign for $35-$50 a sqare foot was a bargain. The same applied to regular vinyl. When digital printing was selling for $25+ sq. ft., vinyl lettering at $15 sq. ft. was cheap! Anyway, your client needs to be wowed the moment he walks in the door. So, only display your best work and keep your showroom neet and organized. Also, whenever possible, try to keep your clients/visitors out of the production area. This is where you want them to beleive that the magic really happens.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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